Definition · Plain-language
Homophones
Homophones are words that sound identical but differ in meaning and usually in spelling, such as their, there and they’re, or flour and flower.
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Same sound, different meaning
The word homophone comes from Greek roots meaning "same sound". Homophones are words that a listener cannot tell apart by ear, even though they mean different things — and usually look different on the page. Classic English examples include their, there and they’re; to, too and two; and pairs such as flour and flower, sea and see, or knight and night. Because the distinction is invisible in speech, homophones are mainly a written-language problem: the listener relies entirely on context, while the writer must choose the correct spelling for the intended meaning.
Homophones within the homonym family
Homophones are one branch of the broader category of homonyms, words that coincide in form but differ in meaning. The defining feature of a homophone is shared pronunciation. Most homophones have different spellings (rain, reign, rein), but a few share spelling as well — these overlap with homographs and with homonyms in the strict sense. Their sibling category, homographs, share spelling but may differ in sound (the bow of a ship versus a bow you tie). Keeping the families straight: homophone = same sound; homograph = same spelling; homonym = the umbrella over both.
Why homophones cause errors
Because homophones sound identical, even fluent writers slip — typing your for you’re or its for it’s — and spellcheckers, which check that a word exists rather than that it is the right word, often miss them. The remedy is to read for meaning: substitute the full form (you are, it is) to test whether the apostrophe-bearing version fits. Homophones are also the engine of many puns and jokes, where the listener is invited, briefly, to hear the wrong word. For learners, building a list of common homophone sets is one of the most effective ways to reduce written errors.
Key facts
At a glance
- Definition: words that sound the same but differ in meaning
- Origin: Greek homos (same) + phone (sound) — "same sound"
- Spelling: usually different (their/there), occasionally the same
- Family: a sub-type of homonym (the sound-alike kind)
- Example sets: to/too/two; flour/flower; knight/night
- Note: a frequent cause of spelling and apostrophe errors
Common misconceptions
What people often get wrong
Often heard: Homophones must always be spelled differently.
Actually: Usually they are (flour/flower), but not always. A few homophones share spelling too, overlapping with homographs and with homonyms in the strict sense. The defining feature is shared sound, not different spelling.
Often heard: Homophones and homonyms mean the same thing.
Actually: A homophone is a specific kind of homonym — the sound-alike kind. Homonym is the umbrella term that also covers homographs, which share spelling rather than sound.
Often heard: A spellchecker will catch homophone mistakes.
Actually: Most spellcheckers only flag words that do not exist. Because their, there and they’re are all real words, a homophone used incorrectly often passes the check unnoticed.
Going deeper
